Hilaria Baldwin is addressing controversy surrounding her heritage.
At the start of 2021, Alec Baldwin’s wife, Hilaria, made headlines when a Twitter user claimed in a now-viral post that Hilaria had been perpetuating a “decade-long grift where she impersonates a Spanish person.”
At the time, Hilaria told The New York Times that she believed there was not “something I’m doing wrong” and that she found the controversy “surreal,” adding, “I think there is a difference between hiding and creating a boundary.”
Hilaria also attempted to address the questions surrounding her name and birthplace, given that many bios about her online suggested she had been born in Mallorca, Spain, despite being born in Boston under the name Hilary.
Hilaria went on to explain that she first visited Spain when she was a baby and has returned at least once a year ever since. Though the Times reports that Hilaria declined to specify exactly how much time she has spent there, she did say there was a blend of education and leisure during her stays. Hilaria also claimed to have been unaware of magazine articles and online bios in which she was said to have been born in Mallorca, Spain. She reiterated that she considers herself to have always been straightforward about her background,
“The things I have shared about myself are very clear. I was born in Boston. I spent time in Boston and in Spain. My family now lives in Spain. I moved to New York when I was 19 years old and I have lived here ever since. For me, I feel like I have spent 10 years sharing that story over and over again. And now it seems like it’s not enough.”
Now, she’s speaking up about the scandal once more in a new Instagram post posted on Feb. 5, several months after the controversy began. Alongside a photo with her husband Alec Baldwin and their children, Hilaria wrote, “I’ve spent the last month listening, reflecting, and asking myself how I can learn and grow. My parents raised my brother and me with two cultures, American and Spanish, and I feel a true sense of belonging to both.”
She continued, “The way I’ve spoken about myself and my deep connection to two cultures could have been better explained – I should have been more clear and I’m sorry.”
“I’m proud of the way I was raised, and we’re raising our children to share the same love and respect for both,” she added. “Being vulnerable and pushing ourselves to learn and grow is what we’ve built our community on, and I hope to get back to the supportive and kind environment we’ve built together.